Jacquard mechanism and textile machine employing such mechanism



Nov. 30, 1937. H, GOQDLEY 2,100,952

JACQUA RD MECHANISM AND TEXTILE MACHINE EMPLOYING SUCH MECHANISM FiledMay 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 30, 1937. H. 'GQQDLEY 2,100,952

. JACQUARD MECHANISM AND TEXTILE MACHINE EMPLOYING SUCH MECHANISM FiledMay 18, 1936 SJSheets-Sheet 2 21 I V v arr-02;

Nov. 30, 1937. v GOQDLEY 2,100,952

JACQUARD MECHANISM AND TEXTILE MACHINE EMFLOYING SUCH MECHANISM FiledMay 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 '0 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 JACQUARDMECHANISM AND TEXTILE MACHINE EMPLOYING SUCH MECHANISM Harry Goodley,Nottingham, England Application May 18, 1936, Serial No. 80,451 InGreatv Britain August. 13, 1935 7 Claims.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to jacquardmechanism and textile machines employing said mechanism, and hasparticular, although not exclusive, reference to lace curtain machines.

The type of jacquard mechanism to which the invention refers is thatwhich functions through the medium of contact elements at the jacquardelectrically to control the selective operation of thread-controllingand/or patterning elements in the machine in which the jacquardmechanism is installed. According to my prior Patent No. 1,984,128,jacquard mechanism functions selectively to energize and de-energizeelectromagnets and by so doing selectively control the motion ofthread-controlling or patterning elements, e. g. pickers or jacks, inthe machine; means being also embodied whereby the motion imparted tothe pickers, i. e. the degree to which same are projected between thespool, warp and/or other threads, is adjustably and variably determinedaccording to the dictates of, the pattern or weave of fabric to beproduced.

The electrical control as above of the pickersof a lace curtain machinerenders unnecessary the employment of the numerous and lengthy stringswhich it is customary to provide extending from the jacquard lifters orneedles to the pickers through sleys, which strings are af-- conditionsand require constant care and frequent attention and adjustment if goodwork is to be produced. Also by dispensing with the use of the lengthystrings it is unnecessary to locate the jacquard mechanism high abovethe machine, and consequently the necessity of a loftyroom for housingthe machine is avoided.

As well known it is customary to manufacture on lace curtain machinesfabric of considerably diiferent widths, and the size of the jacquardcards and consequently also of the jacquard mechanism employed varies inaccord,- ance with the width and gauge of the machine. Now the customarystring type of jacquard em- 45 bodies a number of card-engaging needlescorresponding to the number of pickers or jacks in the machine, and ifit is required to make fabric having a plurality of divisions say 40inches wide on the machine, each division has to be punched 50- in thecards, thereby necessitating long cards. The present invention, however,provides means whereby this duplication in the cards is 'obvia-ted andenables any number of divisions tobeon the machine with cards punchedfor one division only. The said means enables cards fected by variabletemperatures or atmospheric of a minimum size to be employed on machinesof diiferentwidths. in the manufacture of fabric of difierent. widths,thereby effecting very considerable saving. in the cost of material forthe cards and in the punching thereof, Also the 5 7 amount of spacerequired for the storage of jacquard cards is reduced to a minimum dueto the reduction in the size of said cards.

Tothis end an important feature of the invention consists in theprovision of jacquard mechani-sm for use in a textile machine, e. g. alace curtain machine, functioning by' contact elements associated withthe jacquard electrically to. control the selective operation of threadcontrolling and/or patterning elements in the machine, and having incombination therewith an electric. current distribution devicefunctioning to permit. operation ofa number of thread controlling. orpatterning elements in excess of the number of contact elements at thejacquard.

Another object of the present invention is generallyv to improve theconstruction and arrangement of pattern control mechanism in a textilemachine, and particularly a lace curtain machine, of the type set forthin the aforesaid prior patent, so as to increase the operativeeflici'ency of the machine, and in particular to ensure at all timespositive and instantaneous operation of the electromagnets influencingthe thread-controlling elements (pickers).

According, to another feature of the present invention the selectiveenergization of magnets from a jacquard controls or varies the motionsimparted to selected or predetermined threadcontrolling elements (e. g.pickers), and the control by said magnets is released when the magnetsare de-energized. In other words, the selective energizationof magnetscauses parts or elements associated with said magnets to be moved intoengagement with members (e. g. 40 notched bars) associated with thepickers or the like, and the de-energization of said magnets permitsvsaid elements or parts to move or be displaced by gravity or otherwiseout of engagement with said notched bars. positive and instantaneousengagement between the magnet elements and the notched bars or the like,is assured. Means are also provided whereby a more effective contact ismade between the contact pins of the jacquard and contact plates 50 ormembers at said jacquard.

The invention also includes improved and positive means for returningthe several pickers or the like to their normal (inoperative) positionafter each motion of the machine, that is to 56 In this 'manner moreclearly the electrical control of the magnets from the jacquard througha distributing device, the latter being shown in sectional plan for thesake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower part of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional details, enlarged, showing two types ofcontacts for the jacquard.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail sectional views illustrating threepositions of a picker and the means associated therewith for controllingits movements.

Fig. 9 is a detail view illustrating an alternative form of one of thecontrolling magnets.

A convenient method of carrying out the invention Will now be describedas applied to a lace curtain machine having jacquard mechanismintermittently racked in the customary manner, a chain of perforatedjacquard cards being passed over the jacquard cylinder or each of same.

The jacquard cylinder I, or each of same, is perforated in the customarymanner, and at each turn of the cylinder a predetermined number ofjacquard pins 2 project through perforations in the cards into saidcylinder. The jacquard pins are slidably mounted within blocks 3 ofinsulating material, a light coiled spring 4 associated with each pin 2serving as a cushion element when the pin is pressed back into theblock. Each pin 2 at its forward or projecting end has a nose portion 2aof reduced cross-sectional area so as to provide an annular shoulder orcontact face 2b at the junction between said nose and the main body ofthe pin. Between the forward ends of the pins and the jacquard cylinderis provided a metal contact plate 5 conveniently mounted to have aslidable parallel movement towards and away from the cylinder I byproviding said plate with laterally projecting arms 6 slidable withinsupporting brackets 6 secured to the aforesaid pin-carrying block 3. Thecontact plate 5 is provided with perforations equal in number to thecontact pins 2 and the perforations l a in the jacquard cylinder I, andin one arrangement the reduced nose portions 2a of the contact pins areof insulating or nonconducting material as in Fig. 4. Alternatively theperforations in the contact plate 5 may be lined with fibre or otherinsulating material I (Fig. 5) for receiving said reduced ends or nosesof the contact pins. Each pin is electrically connected by insulatedwire 8' to one-or more electro-magnets 8 and with each magnet isassociated a slidably displaceable notched bar 9 or the like which is inturn connected to aresilient picker or jack l0 advantageously of thecustomary type; the pickers being operated upon by a rotary cam I I ofthe usual design functioning to project said pickers through the warpand spool threads of the machine, (Fig. 1).

The selection of the pickers Ill to be projected between the threads iselectrically effected by the aforesaid electro-magnets 8, it beingunderstood that there is preferably a notched sliding bar 9 and magnet 8for each picker; the operation being as follows.

When a jacquard cylinder I has been rotated and is moved towards theblock 3 carrying the contact pins 2, the aforesaid perforated contactplate 5 (which is normally spaced from the cylinder and pins) is pushedon to the pins and the reduced nose portions 2a thereof project throughthe perforationsin said plate 5 on to a jacquard card l2, and when a pin2 registers with a perforation in the card, the reduced nose 2a of saidpin projects through said perforation and the aforesaid shoulder portion2b of the pin makes facial contact with the contact plate 5. In doingthis an electrical circuit is completed through a suitable battery andthe magnet 8 associated with said pin is energized. This causes aslidable catch element l3 (Fig. 2) to be drawn by the armature of themagnet 8 into a position projecting axially from the end of said magnet,and in this projecting position the catch element l3 or a'suitablyshaped nose portion thereof comes into engagement with a notch H5 in theaforesaid slidable notched bar 9 and, dependent upon the position ofsaid notch, retains the picker I!) in a position either wholly orpartially withdrawn from the threads l5 of the machine. In other words,when the catch element l3 of the magnet 8 engages a notch M in thesliding bar 9, the resilient or springy picker ID is held from beingoperated by the picker cam ll. Those contact pins which do not registerwith perforations in the jacquard card l2 are pressed back by said cardagainst their cushion springs 4 housed in the block 3, and the shoulderportions 2b of said depressed pins are maintained clear of the contactplate 5 and consequently do not complete an electrical circuit;therefore the magnets associated with said pins are not energized, andthe pickers associated with said mag nets are operated in the customarymanner by the picker cam.

The connections between the several pickers l0 and their associatedslidable notched bars 9 advantageously consist of comparatively shortflexible connections l6 covered or encased with cellulose or equivalentsubstance such as rubber for preventing said flexible connections beingadversely affected by atmospheric conditions. It will, of course, beappreciated that by connecting the notched bars to the pickers withflexible connections, positive means must be provided for automaticallyreturning the sliding bars 9 to their normal position after eachoperation by the picker cam l l, and this is conveniently effected byforming each notched bar with a downturned lug or projection I! at itsinner end and by providing adjacent to said downturned portions ahorizontal rocking shaft l8 with upwardly projecting blade H! which, ateach motion of the machine, coacts with said downturned portions ill andpositively pushes back those of the notched bars 9--which have beendisplaced by the picker cam, (Fig. l) The notched bars may be slidablymounted in spaced upstanding flanges or edge portions 20 of a metal bed2| which constitutes a carrier for the several electro-magnets 8.

Preferably, the magnets are arranged in a close and compact nest. Forexample, same may be arranged in four or more rows, (eight rows beingshown) one closely behind the other, the disposition of the magnetsacross the bed 2| being diagonal and the arrangement being such as tocause individual catch element E3 to act with separate notched bars.Advantageously the magnets are located below the. notched bars: 9 sothatwhen energized, the catch elements are liftedinto engagement with saidbars and when deenergized said elements automatically fall by 1 gravityout of engagement with the bars. If desired, however, the magnets may belocated above the bars, as represented in Fig. 9 and the contactelements may compriseshort pins with hooklike extremities l3 which passround and beneath the bars in such a manner that when a magnet isenergized the hooked end of its pin is lifted into engagement with anotch, and when de-energized said pin end falls out of engagement withthe notch and permits. free sliding: movement of the bar.

To enable what is. known as full lift and half lift motion to beimparted to the pickers H1 at.-

will each slidable notched bar 9 is provided with two notches l4substantially close to each other, the magnets 8 being operated so. thatthe catch elements I3 thereof can be brought into engagement with eitherof said notches at will or maintained out of engagement with bothnotches; the provision of two notches enabling the, pickers to be heldfully withdrawn from. the threads I15 or in a position projecting partlythrough the threads, say for example beyond the first series of threadsthrough which the pickers pass. When magnets are de-energized thepickers. [0 associated with said magnets are moved by the picker cam Hto the full extent between all thethreads.

The variable adjustment of the pickers is obtained by employing a pairof jacquard cylinders Fig. 1, and in one arrangement one of the jacquardcylinders is moved towards the contact pins 2 at the time the secondcylinder is being moved away from same. One jacquard cylinder, which maybe called the first cylinder, governs the full lift, i. e. the completewithdrawal. from the threads of the pickers. as the catch. elements 13of the armatures of. the magnets controlled. from said cylinder are. atthe, time of. engagement between the cylinder and. contact. pins,.located directly beneath the first of. the two notches M in the slidablebars 9 (i. e. the notches nearest to the pickers) when said bars. arefully withdrawn. Thus when nose portions 2a of contact pins 2 enterperforations in a jacquard card l2. of the first cylinder and makecontact with the contact plate 5 thereof, the selected magnetsappertaining to said pins are energized and the selected pickersaremaintained fully withdrawn, and held from operation by the cam l l.

The second jacquard cylinder governs the half lift motion. of thepickers,v as the armature catch elements of the magnets controlled fromsaid second cylinder are, when the cylinder is moved on to the contactpins, located directly beneath the second of the two notches H! in theslidable bars 9 (the notches farthest removed from the pickers). Thuswhen producing half" motion or half lift of selected pickers, noseportions Zaof' contact pins 2 coact with an imperforate part of ajacquard card on the first cylinder and with a perforation in a card onthe second cylinder.

When pickers are operated to go right through the threads by thecustomary picker cam 'l I, the magnets associated with said pickers arenot energized, and the noses of contact pins controlling said magnetscoact with blank or imperforate parts of cards on both cylinders.

The manner in which the three motions, i. e.

the full lift, half lift and right through motions, of the pickers 10are obtained will be more clearly understood by reference. to Figures;6, 7' and 8. In Figure 6 the full lift motion is shown, this beinggoverned by the first or right hand jacquard cylinder 1. When thiscylinder moves inwards the nose portion 2a' of the contact pin? passesthrough a perforation in the jacquard card l2 and enters a perforationla in the jacquard cylinder; and in so doing electrical contact is madebetween the shoulder 2b of the contact pin and the contact plate 5 andthe magnet 8 is energized to cause the magnet catch or core l'3 to.enter the first of the two notches M in the slidable bar 9', therebymaintaining the picker in fully withdrawn from the threads IS.

The subsequent motion of the second jacquard cylinder (left handcylinder) has no effect on the picker'seeing that the correspondingcontact pin appertaining tothis cylinder coacts with an imperforate partof the jacquard card on said cylinder. 1

this being effected at the second or lefthand jacquard cylinder; Herethe motion of the first cylinder does not energize the magnet seeingthat the jacquard pin coacts with an imperforate part of the jacquardcard. At the second cylinder, however, the contact pin coacts with aperforation in the jacquard card and in the manner before describedenergizes the magnet 8 to bring its catch element I3 into engagementwith the second of the two notches I 4 in the sliding bar 9' and causethe picker I0 partly to enter the threads [5, e. g; pass between thefirst line of said threads. It is understood that the energization ofthe magnet is timed to engage the second of the two notches l4.

In Figure 8 is illustrated the manner in which the right throughposition of the picker is obtained, this being effected by causing animper forate part of the jacquard cards on both jacquard cylinders toengage with the contact pins coacting with said cylinders, therebypreventing magnet energization and causing the picker to be projected bythe customary picker cam right .the contact pins, it will be appreciatedthat in.

actual operation the cylinders are operated alternately, the one'orright hand cylinder moving into the picker selecting and. operatingpositionbefore the other or left hand cylinder.

The movement of the jacquard cylinders may be effected in the well knownmanner through hell crank lever mechanism so as tov move in oppositedirections to and from each other.

Each contact plate5 is maintained dead until all the contact pins Z'thatare required make contact (i. e. that coact with perforations in ajacquard card) have their annular shoulders 21) well pressed on to theplate, when the current is automatically switched on at the exactrequired time by the closing of a. switch or contacts. as indicated at cin. Fig. 2. The facial con-- tact between the shoulders 2b and theplates 5v eliminates or minimizes the danger of dust or thelike'preventing effective contact. 7 The. wiresextending from thecontact pins 2 may extend directly to the magnets 8. Pref-- erably,however, the electrical connection between the pins 2 and the magnets iseffected through the intermediary of an electric current distributingdevice. The. main purpose of this o 2.0 In Figure 7 the half lift motionis illustrated,

is to enable any desired width of fabric ,tobe produced and consequentlyalso to enable the pickers or jacks in a machine of any desired Width tobe controlled by the use of jacquard cards of minimum size, saiddistribution device enabling one or more magnets and consequently alsoone or more pickers to be controlled and operated at will from one andthe same contact.

element at the jacquard. In other words, fabric of any predeterminedwidth can be produced with a card considerably smaller than would berequired with the customary string type machine. For instance, cards ofa size necessary for controlling the pickers in a lace curtain machinefor producing a division or width of fabric of say inches can, by theemployment of the distribution device, also be employed for producingfabric two or more times this width, the pattern determined by thepunching of the cards being electrically duplicated or multiplied acrossthe full width of the machine.

The distribution device may comprise two contact plates 22, 23 (Fig. 2)of insulating material. The rear plate 22 is. fitted with a series ofspringpressed contacts 24 slidably assembled within holes extendingthrough the plate. The front plate 23 is detachably attached over theface of the rear plate by bolts and nuts 25 or other convenient meansand is fitted with a series of screw contacts or other suitable contacts26 which, when the twoplates are assembled one upon the other, projectinto the holes in the rear plate 22 and depress the contacts 24. Thecontact pins 2 of the jacquard are electrically connected by wires to anequal number of contacts 24 grouped at one part or section of the rearplate 22, say for example at the left hand side thereof, and saidcontacts 24 of this group are also electrically connected with themagnets appertaining to the pickers extending across a predeterminedwidth of the machine. This group of contacts 24 is duplicated ormultiplied across the plate 22, and a corresponding group of contacts25. co-operating with the saidgroup of contacts 24 is also duplicated ormultiplied across the front plate 23. The co-operating contacts 24, 26appertaining to the group or groups additional to the first named groupare not, however, directly connected to the jacquard pins 2, but eachcontact 26 of the. first group on the plate 23 is electrically connectedto a correspond. ing contact 26 of the second group and so onthroughoutthe several groups on said plate 23. The contacts 24 appertaining tothegroup or groups additional to the first group on rear plate 22 are not,however, electrically connected withthose of said first group as is thecase with the contacts 26 on plate 23 but are individually wired tomagnets along the machine.

Let it be assumed that fabric is being made on an eight point curtainmachine, and that there are 320 contacts 24 in the first group on plate22 of the distributor directly connected to an equal number of pins 2 atthe jacquard and to an equal number of magnets and pickers in themachine to produce a 40 inch width or division of fabric. Individualcontacts 26 in the first group on plate 23 co-operating with thecontacts 24 of the first group on plate 22 are wired to individualcontacts of the second group on said plate 23, and those of the secondgroup are similarly wired to the contacts of the third group and so on.

If now an 80 inch width (two 46 inch divisions) of fabric is to be made,the front contact plate 23 of the distributor has its contacts 26 sowired or arranged as'to bring into circuit the contacts 24 of'both thefirst and second groups on plate- 22, and in this manner the number ofmagnets and pickers operated or controlled from the jacquard bythe samecards is doubled, and the contacts 24 appertaining to the second groupon plate 22 are, through the contacts on the front plate 23,electrically connected to a second group of magnets'and pickers.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that each division of fabric isduplicated or multiplied at the distributor, and the'wiring of saiddistributor can be varied to accommodate manufacturers varyingrequirements. It will also be appreciated that one predetermined size ofjacquard card (considerably smaller than the card at present employed)can be used on machines of different widths for making-fabric ofdifferent widths, the patterns being duplicated across. the machine.

Another advantage gained by the present invention is that, by virtue ofbeing able to employ a comparatively small jacquard, no reduction inspeed of operation of the machine is necessary when transferring to whatare known as jacked classes of Work from ordinary work.

Advantageously the wiring' of the'front contact plate 23 of thedistributor is enclosed or shielded by a coverplate 21 which isdetachable from said front plate.

The several wires extending to and from the distributor may be gatheredtogether in one or more groupsor bunches and extend through one or moretubes or sheaths. Al'so'means are advantageously provided for preventingany sparking at the jacquards, i. e. between the contact pins andplates.

This can be effected by the insertion of a condenser in the circuitbetween the jacquard contacts and the, distributor. j

, l A'textile machine, eQgfa lace curtain machine, embodying incombinationa series of pickers. or jacks co-operating with threads suchas spool or'warp threads. to determine the character of fabric produced,a series of electro-magnets associated with said pickers, jacquard 2. Atextile .machine according to claim 1 wherein the electric currentdistributor has a.

number of contacts in excess of the number of contacts a'tthe. jacquard,and the contacts of the distributor are connected or wired one withanother and electrically connected with the magnets in such'amanner asto enable a single contact at the jacquard to operate a plurality ofmagnets and consequently also a plurality of pickers controlled thereby.

3. A textile machine, e. g. a lace curtain machine embodying incombination a series of pickers or jacks co-operating with shoggedthreads in the machine, said pickers being normally held clear of thethreads, a cam operating normally to project the pickers between thethreads, a slidable bar connected to and movable with each picker, eachbar having a plurality of spaced notches, a series of electro-magnetsassociated one with each picker, a catch associated with eachelectro-magnet, a jacquard mechanism embodying rotary cylinders,perforated jacquard cards traversing said cylinders, an electric contactplate associated with each jacquard cylinder, contact pins selectivelymaking contact with said contact plate by virtue of the perforations inthe jacquard cards and by so doing selectively energizing the magnets,the catch elements associated with the magnets co-operating with thenotched slidable bars in such a manner that the pickers can take up oneof three positions in relation to the threads, i. e. right through,partly through or clear of the threads, an electric current distributorincorporated between the jacquard contacts and the electro-magnets, saiddistributor embodying a number of interchangeable contact plates sowired as to control a varied number of magnets and functioning to enablethe number of magnets and associated pickers operated by the jacquard tobe duplicated, increased without in creasing the number of contacts atthe jacquard or the number of perforations in the jacquard cards.

4. A textile machine according to claim 1 wherein an electric currentdistributor is provided with a series of contacts the number of which isin excess of the number of contacts at the jacquard, said distributorcontacts being individually connected to the electro-magnets and beingwired together in groups in such a manner that the contacts of one groupare electrically connected with the jacquard contacts and thedistributor contacts appertaining to a plurality of said groups can bebrought into circuit to control a. number of magnets and pickers inexcess of the number of contacts at the jacquard.

'5. A textile machine according to claim 1 wherein the electric currentdistributor comprises two plates detachably assembled one upon another,one plate carrying a series of springpressed electrical contacts and thesecond plate carrying other contacts adapted to coact with those of thefirst plate, and the contacts of either or both of said plates being sowired or electrically connected one with another as to enable a numberof picker controlling electromagnets in excess of the number of contactscoacting with a jacquard card at any given time to be brought intocircuit as desired.

6. A textile machine according to claim 3 wherein the notched barsassociated with the .electro-magnets are, after each motion of themachine, operated upon by a rocking bar which returns all'of the notchedbars to their inoperative position.

7. A textile machine according to claim 3 wherein each of the notchedbars associated with the electro-magnets is connected to a picker or thelike by a flexible connection covered or encased with material orsubstance which is not effected by atmospheric conditions.

HARRY GOODLEY.

